Getting Started

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Amentet: One of the two principal lands of Egypt (or Egyptia as new Egypt is called). Amentet is “the hidden place” the underworld, the afterlife. One spends much of their time in life preparing for the afterlife, for if the preparations are not properly completed one will not be able to live forever in the afterlife. Amentet is the land ruled over by the god of the dead Osiris. In order to get there one must make very careful plans and the family and caretakers of the deceased must properly prepare the body if they are to make the journey. All parts of Egyptian society are allowed to make the preparations to enter Amentet, although what one is in life, they will remain when they reach the afterlife. The Pharaohs have many people to look after their preparations and they are buried in extravagant tombs with many artifacts, peasants have much less to take with them and often their tombs go unmarked, but they are still allowed to enter the promised afterlife.

First the body must be prepared. This is the process of mummification, which will preserve the body for all time so that it can be recognized by the soul. If the soul cannot recognize the body and thus learn it’s identity it will be un able to make the trip to Amentet. Next the body is laid in it’s final resting place along with the things it will need in the afterlife. For peasants it is usually their favored tools in life, for the merchant class some of their riches and all they will need to continue their way of life in the underworld. The Pharaohs are buried with everything they will need to be king in the next life. Riches, statues of soldiers, their chariots and weapons, anything they used throughout life will be buried with them in order that they may use it when they have reached the promised afterlife. When all the proper rituals are completed the tomb is sealed. If the objects inside are stolen the soul will not be able to reach the afterlife, or will be missing vital things when it makes it’s way there.

When all the preparations are complete the soul will return to the resting place and re-learn it’s identity, it will then follow the instructions left for it and rise up into the sky where it will follow the sun god, Amun-Ra in to the underworld at the end of the day as the sun sets. Upon entering Amentet the deceased will see the grand river on which the sun god’s boat sometimes travels. They will find before them Aken, the ferryman who will carry them deeper into the underworld. Aken delivers the dead souls to Amenti, the city of Osiris. There after the soul must make their way to the throne room where they will stand before 42 judges and Maat, the goddess of truth, and declair if they are guilty or innocent of certain crimes. When the trial is complete their soul will be weighed on scales held by Anubis against the goddess Maat in the form of a feather. If the heart is lighter than a feather the soul is allowed to proceed and remain in Amentet. If they heart is heavier than the feather it is devoured by the terrible Ammut and the soul will be unable to find it’s way into Amentet. Most souls cannot survive this terrible punishment, those that do wander the world as haunted, sad ghosts.

Amenti: Amenti is the city of the dead, the city in which the god of the dead Osiris himself lives and rules over his kingdom. A city of gold and silver rising out of a desert along the fertile shores of a grand river, Amenti is a grand city unmatched by any found in mortal Egypt or New Egypt (known as Egyptia). It is connected by a large dock to the grand river that flows through the underworld. It is via the river, in the boat of ferryman Aken that the dead reach the city of Amenti. The city it’s self seems to be organized much like a mortal city. The areas closest to the docs are obviously a bustling market place which gives way to small taverns and inns. As one travels further on they note that the buildings have grown larger and grander, no longer made for men, but for gods. Grand temples rise into the distance, they are populated by the dead priests who have come to the afterlife to serve the gods directly as they served them in directly in life. Finally the vast golden palace of Osisris looms above the dead soul. Inside and out it is far more spectacular than even the palace of the grand Pharaohs of Egypt and Egyptia. In the throne room of the god Osiris the deceased stand trial during which their heart is weighed against the goddess Maat in the form of a feather. If the deceased’s heart is lighter than that of the goddess they will soon find themselves back in the city, or even moving beyond it to the villages and farms of the afterlife.

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Egyptia (New Egypt): Egyptia, or New Egypt as it is sometimes called, is named for an ancient civilization in a far away land from which the great gods came. The gods have directed the people of Egyptia to choose the proper names for their cities and landmarks and told them the stories of the people who served them before they came here to this new land. Egyptia is located in the southern hemisphere of the world on a vast stretch of land on both sides of a large, winding river. They do not control the whole of the landmass, only that surrounding the river and for many miles in every direction out into the vast, golden desert surrounding it. Egyptia is a desert land, drawing it’s life almost completely from the fertile river, although they have begun to trade on occasion with the people who serve other, lesser, gods. Egyptia is a land of barren, dangerous deserts, fertile farms, large cities, and still larger temples and monuments to the gods.

The Nile River: The Nile is a long river that winds it’s way through the center of Egyptia, it begins at a large delta where it meats the ocean and makes it’s way down through the lands of Egyptia supplying it with water for the people and for the crops. The original name of the river has now been lost to time, it was decreed by the gods that it would be renamed forever “The Nile” after the sacred river that gave life to the people who served the gods in far away lands before they came here. The people of Egyptia are careful to give proper thanks to the gods who control the regular flow and flooding of the Nile river, for it is the Nile that provides them with food, water, and an easy transport route.

Abydos: Set north on the Nile river’s path through Egyptia is the city of Abydos. It isn’t as large as one would expect a holy city to be, but it is a sight to see. It is characterized by it’s large stone and marble buildings kept spotlessly clean, not even a grain of sand is allowed to linger inside one of the intricate temples that have been erected here. Abydos is the holy city of the dead, it is said that Osiris himself was buried here. Besides the temples that have been built and maintained in his honor there is one other unique thing about Abydos, the stunning white pyramid that looms over it. Taller than any Pyramid built by the old Egyptians and new Egyptians alike, this Pyramid is not only a tomb for many now dead Pharaohs and their families, but it is also the largest and most revered temple of Osiris in all Egyptia. It is said that there is room in the vast vaults and chambers under the pyramid to entomb nearly a thousand pharaohs. Abydos is a somber and serious city, there are no open markets or bustling merchant areas as in Egytpia’s other cities. Those housed there run the inns for travelers come to pay homage to Osiris and their ancestors, the dead, and the priests and priestesses who upkeep the temples and pay homage to the gods of the dead.

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Thekmara: The capital city of Egyptia (or New Egypt) is called Thekmara and is located on the western side of the Nile river, many miles south of Abydos. Thekmara, as far as anyone can tell, was the original name of the city even before the great gods came. The people were allowed to keep their traditional name for the city but most of the rest of the city from before the time of the gods has been completely demolished. Very few buildings are left to testify to a time before the great gods, and these are in grave disrepair, awaiting only to be noticed before they too will be torn down and newer, better buildings constructed in their places. Thekmara is not constructed on the sheer scale of Abydos, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in intricacy. The temples of Thekmara have some of the grandest carvings and paintings to be found in Egyptia. The temples themselves line the main streets around the center of the city, and in the very center it’s self is the Pharaoh’s Palace. Outside the ring of the temples and the palace can be found the intricate homes of the wealthy, the priests and the merchants, and beyond that the more simple homes and businesses of the working class. The edge of the city melts into farms that become steadily more spread out as one gets further and further away from the bustle of the city. Thekmara is the center of happenings in Egyptia, it would be described as ‘the place to be’. Looming over the city are two Pyramids, dwarfed by the pyramid at Abydos, they are none the less an impressive site. They are the tombs of past Pharaohs, the first, the taller of the two is the tomb of Egyptia’s first Pharaoh, and the second, the wider of the two was built for the Pharaoh who has been considered the greatest thus far in the history of Egyptia.

The Temple of Amun-Ra: Though the city streets of Thekmara are lined and dotted with temples through out there are two that are worth major note. The first of which is the Temple of Amun-Ra which is located just outside the main grounds of the Pharaoh’s Palace. The building is made of a yellow-goldish colored stone that is kept clean and polished so that when the sun shines directly on it, it almost seems to glow like the sun himself. Jutting out of the top of the structure is a long stone rod on the end of which is a large orange-redish colored sun disc. Inside on the walls are carvings and paintings, prayers to the greatest of all the Egyptian gods and tales of his grand exploits. There are also statues, meant to represent the god himself for the commoners to pay homage too. Deep in the heart of the temple where the sacred alters lay where only the highest most trusted priests appointed by the sun god himself can go, lies the small statue that stands in for the god himself when he cannot be present for the great rites. It is said that his essence inhabits the stone carving when he cannot be there in person and accepts the rites of ritual before returning to his divine duties. The Temple of Amun-Ra is one of the most important structures in the whole of the Empire for Amun-Ra is the chief god of Egyptia and the High Priest of Amun-Ra who serves there is also an esteemed advisor to the Pharaoh. The Temple also serves another function, it is the place where all the scribes who will serve in the palace are instructed, under the expert eyes of some of the top scribes and scholars. After all, the Pharaoh can get nothing but the best.


The Temple of Isis: Across the way from the Temple of Amun-Ra, in a place of nearly equal prominence, lies the Temple of Isis, also just outside the grounds of the Pharaoh’s Palace. Although it is not nearly as impressive a building from the outside, it seems quite modest in fact compared to the glowing Temple of the sun god, it is certainly a match for Amun-Ra’s temple on the inside. It is filled with grand statues of the Mother Goddess, some in her queenly form and some in her winged form, grand golden wings spread to enfold Egypt. Not only do the paintings speak of her glorious achievements, but they speak of her amazing magical ability. Thus it only makes sense that the Temple of Isis also serves as a sort of magical academy, teaching those who have shone the strongest magical abilities in the land. They have even just recently begun to accept some small amount of outsiders if they have proven themselves worthy of Lady Isis’s grand teachings. As like all other temples there is an inner sanctum for Isis’s essence as well. The High Priestess of Isis, one of the finest sorceresses in Egyptia, is also an esteemed advisor to the Pharaoh.

The Pharaoh’s Palace: Located in the center of Thekmara, the palace of the Pharaoh is spread out over a large area. The outside is quite a site to be seen, made grey and yellow-gold colored stone and marble. The inside is highly decorated, almost to the point of gaudiness, but the inside is rarely seen except by the royal family, their servants and attendants, the priests and advisors, and of course the court. Immediately surrounding the palace is large open spaces, the grounds, some left to the desert, some planted with greenery. These are not the only such gardens to be found in Egyptia, they represent a treasure that can be wrested from the desert if one is careful and patient, but they are certainly the grandest gardens to be found in Egyptia. The court of Egyptian nobles who meet to hold the Pharaoh’s court are well versed with the areas of the palace open to them, some chambers are only for the royal family and their servants. The common folk see the Pharaoh only when he appears for matters of state or ceremony, usually at the rites and festivals of the gods.

Tekmara’s Open Market: Every city has an open market place, and many small villages have them in place of a market square, however the open market at Thekmara is Egytia’s most famous. It stretches from the docks all the way to the temple district. Law states that anyone can rent a square to sell their goods in Thekmara’s open market, but the price is so high that only the best merchants are able to afford it. That is part of the reason it has become so famous, only the best goods are sold on the long stretch of Thekmara’s Open Market and one will run into only the best businessmen, it is said that they can talk you into buying almost anything if you are not careful. On any given day the main street of Thekmara’s Open Market is bustling and crowded with people searching for the best goods and the best deals, save of course on important festival days. The list of things one can buy in the open market is always changing but it is always a wide verity ranging from fresh fruits and baked goods to fancy and expensive clothing and carvings.

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Samuut: Samuut is a smaller city located on the eastern bank of the Nile River to the far south of the New Egyptian Empire. It seems to be an illogical, unorganized city that is really just a clustering together of several large villages that have now all run together. Because of this it is not organized into districts, the temples and markets are scattered willy nilly and there are several ‘richer’ and ‘poorer’ sections that one may pass through on their way to any given location. Samuut has only two claims to fame; The Scroll and Wineskin Tavern and Inn and one of Egyptia’s most famous monuments to the Gods.

The Scroll and Wineskin Tavern and Inn: The Scroll and Wineskin Tavern and Inn is Samuut’s second claim to fame, it is rare when they have free rooms but they always try to accommodate as many travelers as possible. It is located on one of the raged edges of town, positioned close to both the path leading out of town and the few other shops of it’s district, it is a quaint little establishment that is often bursting at it’s seams with patrons. It’s a quite, refined place compared to the taverns of the surrounding lands, but it serves the Egyptian people well enough. The tavern serves a wide selection of alcohol at all hours of the day and well into the night. The rooms at the Inn range from small to large enough for an entire family. All are furnished with comfortable beds and chairs, and most have windows open to the night in order to dispel the heat of the desert.

Monuments: The people of Egyptia are at their cores all builders. They construct magnificent buildings which are outmatched only by their monuments. The Egyptians often build monuments to their gods or to the Pharaohs if they gods have shown them to have their favor. Often the monuments depict the gods on one of their exploits. The most famous of Egyptia’s monuments is located in Samutt, the haphazard city. It is a depiction of the great gods arriving in the lands before they were Egyptia and blessing the people before guiding them to build the now great Empire of Egyptia.

Pyramids: Pyramids of course mark the Egyptian culture. They did on Earth and they do on the new world the gods have settled in. There are currently three Pyramids in Egyptia. The first stands in Abydos and is by far the tallest ever constructed. This massive pyramid serves as a tomb for several deceased pharaohs and their families and has enough room left in it’s carved chambers to lay to rest up to a thousand. Not only does the towering structure serve as a tomb but it also serves as a massive temple of Osiris, lord of the dead. The other two pyramids are located just outside of Thekmara, the capital city of Egyptia. The taller of the two in the tomb of New Egypt’s first Pharaoh, the wider is the tomb of the man hailed as the greatest Pharaoh to yet live in Egyptia.